


I Put On My Robe and Wizard Hat

by Chash



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Conventions, Cosplay, F/M, Geeks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-16
Updated: 2015-06-16
Packaged: 2018-04-04 16:46:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4145178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chash/pseuds/Chash
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based on the tumblr prompt: "We’re both cosplayers and we somehow always manage to meet each other at cons dressed as a popular ship and people want photos of us in compromising positions and oops now we’re kissing," which is obviously right up my alley.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Put On My Robe and Wizard Hat

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Tumblr for cosplay ideas!

The first time Clarke meets Bellamy Blake, she's at BronyCon dressed as Equestria Girls Rainbow Dash, and he's dressed as dude Applejack, and they're having a pretty intense argument about creativity and art. She only becomes aware that there's a large crowd around them taking pictures when a girl yells, "Now kiss!"

She got into fandom mostly by accident; she's always liked comics and sci-fi stuff, used to watch Star Wars with her dad and Star Trek with her mom, even went to a few conventions to meet actors when she was a kid. Then she got on Tumblr and found out she got way more reblogs for fanart than for her serious stuff and racked up a decent number of followers with it. Once that happened, it just made sense to get into the rest of it; she makes good money selling her art at cons, and cosplay is just _fun_. Plus, she finds a lot of awesome pictures of herself on tumblr with complimentary comments on her outfits, which is a nice ego boost. Reblogs are her favorite thing, seriously.

She's not really thrilled about being at BronyCon, because it's called fucking _BronyCon_ , which is gross and makes her feel pretty unwelcome, honestly, but bronies are really easy money, and she's always kind of loved _My Little Pony_. She had so many when she was a kid. And if she's going to a con, she's at least going to cosplay. Twilight's her favorite pony, but she's hoping Rainbow Dash cosplay will give off some gay vibes and scare some number of creepy dudes away. She can dream, okay?

She notices Bellamy Blake when he's flipping through her prints. He's got kind of a farm-boy AJ thing going, and it's hot; the flannel shirt and tanktop really work on him, and he's got freckles and Applejack's cutie mark painted on his cheek. He's at BronyCon, so probably not someone she wants to flirt with, but at least he's nice to look at.

"Can I help you with anything?"

He looks up and gives her a contemplative look. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"You're really good."

"Not a question, but thanks."

"Couldn't you be doing, I don't know. Something better than this?"

Clarke bristles. She does plenty of other stuff, and she likes it, but--she likes this too, and that's kind of weirdly judgey for a dude at BronyCon dressed up as Applejack. "What do you mean, better?"

"Your own stuff. Using your own imagination, instead of--"

It goes pretty rapidly downhill from there, with Clarke yelling about the validity of transformative works and Bellamy (whose name she hadn't actually learned yet) yelling back about wasting talent and derivative hack jobs, and eventually devolving into _at least I'm not a creepy dude who has sexual fantasies about pastel horses_ (Clarke) and _like being a creepy chick who has sexual fantasies about pastel horses is so much better_ (Bellamy), and then she sees the flash of a camera and realizes they've got a pretty significant audience.

"Now kiss!" calls a cute, brown-haired girl in a Big Mac costume.

Clarke blinks, looks at the dude, who's got an amused smirk lurking around his mouth, almost like he's teasing. Clarke's never been the type to back down from a dare, especially not when some asshole looks like he thinks she doesn't have the guts to do it, so she fists her hand in his shirt and pulls him down for a kiss. She thinks that's how Rainbow Dash would do it.

It's not a particularly long or good kiss, but the crowd hoots and jeers, and when she lets him go, he laughs, surprised, and it's kind of a good look on him.

"Who's your friend?" the Big Mac girl asks, once the crowd has dispersed.

"Not really a friend," Clarke says. "He was telling me I'm wasting my talents on fanart."

"God, seriously, Bell?" Big Mac asks, exasperated.

Bell rubs the back of his neck. "She's really good."

"She is," Big Mac agrees. "And I'm going to buy this picture of Scootaloo, because it's really good, and you're a dick."

"You just like her because she's the most annoying sister of all time."

"She's not actually Rainbow Dash's sister, I keep telling you!"

Bell rolls his eyes and grabs a drawing of the ponies dressed up as the Avengers. "How much for these two?"

"With or without the asshole tax?" Clarke asks, bright, and Big Mac snickers.

"Ideally without," says Bell, looking somewhat abashed. He offers his hand. "I'm, uh, Bellamy Blake. This is my sister, Octavia. I try to at least exchange names with everyone I kiss," he adds, with a small smile that Clarke figures it would be pretty heartless to not return.

"Your name's Octavia and you're _not_ taking advantage of that for cosplay purposes?" she asks, shifting her attention from Bellamy.

"We did Octavia and Fancy Pants yesterday," she says, grinning.

Bellamy looks annoyed. "You still owe me for, like, ten billion years for agreeing to come as something named _Fancy Pants_. Honestly, you owe me for ten billion years for coming at all." 

"He's in pony denial," Octavia tells Clarke. "How much for the drawings?"

The Blakes pay her and they're about to be on their way, but Octavia hedges. "One more picture?" she says, holding up her phone. "You guys look really cute together."

Clarke glances at Bellamy, who shrugs and puts his arm around her. Clarke crosses her arms, attempting to look annoyed, but she thinks she's probably smiling, a little. Octavia snaps a shot and Clarke's about to move away again, but Bellamy reaches in his pocket and gives his sister his phone. "I want one too," he says, and then Clarke _has_ to get her own as well. If everyone else has one.

They look like they came together, planned it, even (although if Clarke was going to plan an Applejack/Rainbow Dash cosplay, she'd definitely keep it same-sex, but whatever), and she has to admit Octavia was right: they are really cute.

*

She doesn't think she'll ever see the two of them again; she's in North Carolina and traveled up to Baltimore for the con, because, god, she made out like a fucking _bandit_ , and the chances that the Blakes came up from there as well are pretty low. Maybe they'll remember her and stop by if they come to BronyCon next year; that's about her level of expectation for their future interactions.

Instead, she runs into them just a month later, at DragonCon.

She doesn't vend at DragonCon, but Monty, Jasper, and Jasper's girlfriend Maya wanted to go too, so she had a ride and people to split a hotel room with. Plus, Patrick fucking Stewart is going to be there, and Clarke really, really wants to meet Patrick fucking Stewart. He's fucking awesome.

Her costume for Saturday is Furiosa from _Mad Max_ , and she gets a bunch of people taking pictures and then asking if she's seen a particularly great Max and Nux. It's after lunch when she runs into them, and somehow it's Bellamy as Max and Octavia as Nux, with the fucking chain to attach them and an actual car door on it and everything. She has to admit, it's impressive. And a little weird. She wasn't really expecting to see them again, let alone in costumes that matched hers. At BronyCon, it made sense--everyone was a pony. But this is kind of an incredible coincidence.

"Hey!" she calls, before she can talk herself out of it. "Fool!"

Bellamy turns, and when he recognizes her, a grin spreads over his face, a little hard to see because of the metal grill he's wearing. He jerks his head, and Clarke trots over, giving him a nod. 

"Clarke, right?" asks Octavia. She's quite a War Boy. "Awesome costume."

"Thanks. You guys really went all in, huh?"

"Go big or go home," says Bellamy. Someone stops and asks for a picture, and he lifts Octavia onto his shoulders easily, letting the fake door dangle between them. It's a pretty impressive display. She does not check out his arms at all.

"Furiosa too," says the guy taking the picture, and Bellamy glances back at Clarke, raising his eyebrows. She steps up, takes the gun he's got at his waist and and points it at his jaw, casual.

"Don't try to kiss me again," Bellamy says, with a lazy smirk. "I know it's hard to resist, but you'll have trouble getting through the metal."

Clarke rolls her eyes and jabs him with the gun. "Fool."

They get roped into a lot of pictures after that, and when they're finally done, Octavia asks, "What are you up to this afternoon?"

"Nothing in particular," says Clarke, shrugging. "My friends are going to a bunch of panels I don't care about, so I'm just wandering around."

"Want to wander with us?"

Clarke learns that they actually live in Durham, which is another giant coincidence that feels way more significant than it is. Bellamy's at Duke, getting his PhD in history, and Octavia is a bartender. Clarke tells them she teaches high-school art in Raleigh, and Octavia squeals and hugs her, which she's pretty sure someone gets a picture of. 

"You know we barely know her, right?" Bellamy asks, but he sounds amused.

"We know she does awesome art, makes awesome costumes, and likes ponies and _Mad Max_. That is a great basis for friendship!"

"She makes a compelling argument," says Clarke.

"I'm not into ponies," Bellamy mutters.

"He thought that if I went to BronyCon alone, I'd end up murdering a guy for trying to hit on me, and then he didn't want to seem like a poser, so he watched the whole series. So he'd be informed."

Bellamy crosses his arms, not making eye contact with either of them. "You absolutely would have murdered someone," he says.

"They'd be too scared to hit on me," says Octavia. "I'm very intimidating."

"Probably true." Clarke grins at Bellamy. "So, if you're not into ponies, what are your actual fandoms?"

"Sci-fi, fantasy, superheroes," he says, shrugging. "Pretty standard stuff."

"How'd you guys start doing cosplay?"

The two of them exchange a look, like she's asked something bad. Octavia takes the question, finally. "Our mom, um, she died. When I was in middle school. Bell got custody, but it was--rough. For a long time. Mom used to sew, so we learned, and--I dunno. It helped." She looks up at her brother, who's blushing faintly under all the metal. "And now we're kind of internet famous, it's pretty cool." She unhooks the chain from her shoulder. "I gotta bathroom, Bell."

"We'll be here," he says, and gets the chain off himself too, and the grill. He stretches his neck and arms.

"Is that heavy?" she asks, and he offers it to her. It's real metal, but fairly light. She puts it up to her face and he grins, and someone snaps a picture of the two of them. Clarke sees it on her Tumblr dashboard three weeks later, with someone's long disclaimer about how glad she was the movie didn't go to a romance place, and how important it was that they kept it platonic, and ending with, "but holy shit I'm so into this pairing, thank goodness for cosplay."

Clarke likes it, and saves the picture.

*

Octavia calls her a week after DragonCon. "Hey, did you know my bar has two-dollar shots on Wednesdays? It is the cheapest way to get shitfaced while still going out and interacting with other people."

Clarke laughs. "You're a born saleswoman."

"I know, right? Yet another reason to come. You can see me in my element. I get so fucking many tips, it's unreal. I'm like the chosen one."

"What's the address?" she asks, and on Wednesday, she drags Wells and Monty with her so she won't be totally alone.

"Who are these people again?" Wells asks.

"The ones from DragonCon," she says. "Monty met them. They're normal."

"They were _at DragonCon_."

"Two thirds of this car was at DragonCon," Monty pipes up. "Let's not start judging people based on that."

"You already knew I was judging you based on that," Wells says. "I judge you all the time." He glances over at Clarke from shotgun. "Which one do you want to sleep with, the sister or the brother?"

"I'm just making friends."

"Please don't say both, that would be creepy."

Clarke sighs. "If I had to pick, the brother."

"There it is," says Wells. "So we're going to be your backup while you flirt with some weird nerd."

Clarke rubs her face. "Do you know how long it's been since I met new people? The last one was Jasper's new girlfriend, and that wasn't really on me. The only reason I have _any_ friends is that we went to college here and not everyone left. Don't make it about--" She bites her lip, feeling embarrassed. It doesn't usually bother her, how much trouble she's had getting a social life going, but sometimes, when she thinks about it, she remembers that she hasn't really met anyone. Not romantically--she's honestly not looking for that--but Wells found a girlfriend of his own a few months back, and now Jasper has too, and Clarke and Monty have both been feeling a little down about it. She doesn't want him getting the wrong idea either, that she's planning to abandon him. "They're cool. We could use new blood in our lives," she finishes.

Wells looks suitably chastised. "Okay, sorry. I get it."

"But the brother was really hot," Monty interjects, and Clarke laughs in spite of herself. 

"So was the sister," she says. "Excellent genes in that family."

The bar has bad lighting and sticky floors, and a pool table that has seen better days. Octavia is behind the bar in a low-cut top, pouring shots for a group of sorority girls with a flourish. She recognizes Bellamy's back at the bar, broad shoulders in a tight black t-shirt.

Seriously, their genes are _unreal_.

She takes the seat next to Bellamy and gives him a smile. "Hey."

He grins. "Hey. I've never actually seen you in real clothes, it's new."

"I've never seen your face with so little on it."

"Touche. I didn't think you were gonna show up."

"Two dollar shots," says Clarke. "It's a real deal." She inclines her head to Monty and Wells. "You met Monty, right? And this is my best friend, Wells."

"Nice to see you again, Monty," says Bellamy. "And nice to meet you, Wells. I'm Bellamy."

"Clarke's told me a lot about you," says Wells. "Mostly that you're a giant nerd with really great costuming skills."

"Really great costuming skills, huh?" he asks, raising his eyebrows at Clarke. "I'm flattered."

"That's not a direct quote." 

Octavia comes over, and Clarke introduces her as well, orders a round of shots, and then it's pretty easy. Octavia flits in and out of the conversation, helping other patrons, but the rest of them keep up a steady stream of conversation. Bellamy and Wells follow some of the same sports, so they have that going for them, and Monty and Clarke have the fandom side covered. Bellamy's friend Miller shows up an hour in, and they play pool and goof around, shooting the shit with a minimum of awkwardness. Clarke feels like the kind of adult she's seen on TV, one with a hangout spot and a social life.

"Same time next week?" Octavia asks, as they head out, and Clarke smiles.

"Same time next week."

*

They still don't talk about cosplay, mostly because their friends are around and make fun of them when they do, but Clarke grabs a ride with them to some random convention in DC in October and can't help asking, "So, I assume you guys have another awesome costume worked out?"

"I'm actually doing something with my boyfriend," Octavia admits. Clarke doesn't know much about Octavia's mysterious boyfriend, except that he's in grad school in Virginia and is really, really ripped, based on Facebook pictures. "Gargoyles. He's Goliath, I'm Elisa. His costume is badass."

"It is," Bellamy admits, grudging.

Clarke cocks her head at him. "Not a big fan of Octavia's boyfriend?"

"He's an idiot, ignore him," says Octavia. "Lincoln's great. And he'll be in the artist alley too, so you guys can bond! And then you can tell Bell he's an idiot."

"Oh, I can do that already," Clarke says brightly.

"I love you guys too," says Bellamy. "What about you?"

"Battlestar Galactica." He stares back at her for a long minute, and she says, "Road, Bellamy!"

He goes back to the wheel, laughing a little. "Let me guess, Starbuck?"

"That obvious?"

"Oh my god, how are you guys so good at this?" Octavia says, laughing. "He's doing Lee Adama."

"So, you're going to ask us to make out again?" Clarke asks. "This is what I'm getting."

"Of course she is," says Bellamy.

"Hey, it's not _my_ fault you guys keep dressing up as my OTPs. I'll make out with Lincoln if anyone asks. Because I know that people have _dreams_ , Bell."

"Also because he's your boyfriend and you guys make out all the fucking time," Bellamy grumbles. "Doesn't really count. People will probably be asking you to _stop_ making out with Lincoln."

This proves to be pretty much true; Octavia spends most of the con hanging out at Lincoln's booth, and they're adorable, but also vaguely nauseating, so Bellamy bails to sit with Clarke instead after about an hour. They get a lot of people taking pictures of them, but no requests to make out. Mostly, everyone seems to think it's funny that Kara and Lee are hanging out behind a table full of fanart, playing Words With Friends, and they want pictures of that.

"You know," she says, after he talks some giggling girls into buying a few prints, "I figured your whole aversion to fanart thing would keep you from helping out with this."

Bellamy rubs the back of his neck. "I'm not really, uh--I'm not _against_ fanart. I just didn't really know how to start a conversation with you so I, uh. Sort of just said the first thing that I thought of."

Clarke raises her eyebrows. "Is this one of those pickup artist things? Negging? Did you try to neg me?"

"You're giving me a lot more credit than I deserve," he says, sheepish. "I just sort of started a conversation without any input from my brain."

"And then you got in a huge fight with me about it."

"Yeah, pretty much. I think it was supposed to be a compliment. Like, you know, you're really good, you could be doing better, but--you might have noticed I'm not much of a people person." He smiles at her. "And I was off my game. You know, hot girl, pony convention, didn't want to be creepy."

"So, that whole argument was just you trying to hit on me, and it spiraled completely out of control?"

"Pretty much."

She laughs, and he laughs too, looking a little more relaxed. "Well, you're--"

"Hey, can I get a picture?" someone asks, and Bellamy's arm goes around her automatically.

"Yeah, sure," he says, giving the girl with the camera a smile. 

Clarke slides her hand up to his cheek, pulls him down into a kiss. She'd been hoping someone would ask all day; it's time to take matters into her own hands. There's a moment of surprise and then he relaxes against her, kissing back, and she forgets about the photographer entirely.

"I was going to do that anyway," she says, when they pull apart.

"Oh good, I thought it was just for our adoring public," he teases, and leans down to kiss her again.

*

The next convention, they actually plan a group costume--Clarke as Captain America, Bellamy as Iron Man, Octavia as the Winter Soldier, and Lincoln as the Falcon. 

"You know, I'm not sure I'm going to actually get the most requests to pose with you," she tells Bellamy. "I don't know how the shipping for this breaks down."

"I'm totally going to make out with your girlfriend if anyone asks," Octavia declares.

"Someone's definitely going to ask," says Bellamy. "But I believe in the power of superhusbands. I'm going to get shipped with you the most."

"You guys need to spend less time on Tumblr," Lincoln says.

"You're also in this fight, babe," Octavia says, hugging his arm. "Falcon/Captain America is big too. Don't give up just because I'm so pretty."

"So we're competing to see who gets shipped with Clarke the most?" Lincoln asks. He sounds wary, but not nearly as wary as he probably should, given how ridiculous this entire thing is. 

"Pretty much," says Octavia.

He nods, like he's thinking it over carefully. Finally, hesitantly, he asks, "Is there a prize?"

By the end of the day, Clarke has kissed all three of them more than once, and she's pretty sure her face is all over Tumblr. Octavia wins the shipping competition, although it's hard to tell if that's really because, as Octavia puts it, "Cap/Bucky OTP for life," or just because there are a lot of guys at the con and they're all into girl-on-girl. Either way, Bellamy sulks all the way back to their hotel room.

"Next time we'll just do a couples costume again, okay?" Clarke says. "Han and Leia or something. I bet you'd look hot in the vest."

"I like Bucky and Black Widow, okay?" he says, crossing his arms, and Clarke laughs.

"That's what you get for reading the comics in a cinematic universe world," she says, patting him on his shoulder. "I'll ship superhusbands with you, okay? And whatever cute ship name there is for Bucky and Black Widow. I've got your back."

He snorts and kisses her temple. "Thanks, babe. You're my hero."

"Do you want to have roleplay sex?" she asks. Would that help? We can argue about the superhuman registration act and everything."

Bellamy laughs. "You know, it really would."


End file.
